Tomato flu outbreak in India spreads to two more states

New viral infection detected in dozens of children in Kerala, and now also in Tamil Nadu and Odisha

Doctors say diagnosing tomato flu is difficult because its symptoms are very similar to those of Covid, chikungunya and dengue fever. File photo: AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

An outbreak of a new viral infection referred to as tomato flu that was first detected in children in the southern Indian state of Kerala in May has spread to two other states.

According to an article in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 82 children aged under five had been diagnosed with the virus in Kerala as of 26 July.